Voice over IP (VoIP) is a recent technological development in the field of telecommunications that is utilized to transmit voice over a broadband data network using the Internet Protocol (IP) rather than the existing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). Internet Protocol is a part of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) family of protocols described in software that tracks the Internet address of nodes, routes outgoing messages, and recognizes incoming messages. Such a data network may be the Internet or a corporate intranet, or any other TCP/IP network. Subscribers (either businesses or individuals) use VoIP by purchasing and installing the necessary equipment to access a VoIP service provider at their broadband-equipped location. Such VoIP equipment would include, in one example, an adapter connected between the subscriber's PSTN phone and a broadband connection point (i.e., cable modem).
The aforementioned VoIP equipment is available from a few different sources including shipment (via a third party supplier) from a VoIP service provider such as Vonage of Holmdel, New Jersey or direct purchase from a retail establishment specializing in consumer electronics and telecommunications devices. Since the supply chain for such VoIP equipment varies, it is possible that such equipment may be lost, stolen or otherwise inappropriately distributed to a potential subscriber. If such “inappropriate” equipment were subsequently connected to a broadband connection and/or “hacked” to appear as legitimately obtained equipment, there is a potential for lost revenue due to the lack of sale of the VoIP equipment as well as the subsequent use of same in a subscriber-based business model.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method that provides for controlled access to an inventory control system (ICS) that mitigates the aforementioned problems of inventory theft and loss of services.